Coastal and Conservation Policies - Post-disaster redevelopment

Goal 3

The city shall develop and maintain a post-disaster redevelopment plan that, while ensuring recognition of the private property rights of its citizens, will seek to reduce or eliminate the exposure of human life and public and private property to natural hazards where feasible.

Objective 3.1

The city shall incorporate all appropriate recommendations from interagency hazard mitigation reports together with the requirements of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) regarding construction in the flood zone in developing its post-disaster recovery plans.

Policy 3.1.1

The city shall continue to be a participant in intergovernmental cooperative efforts to establish regionally significant post-disaster recovery plans.

Policy 3.1.2

The city's plans shall ensure that, in as much as possible, hazard mitigation measures are included in the planning for:

• Post-disaster building construction;

• Repair and replacement of infrastructure elements;

• Repair and replacement of storm water management systems and facilities; and

• Beach and dune restoration

Policy 3.1.3

The city's post-disaster planning shall, at a minimum, include consideration of interagency hazard mitigation reports, established coastal construction control lines, FEMA requirements and other appropriate coastal construction requirements such as those necessary in V-Zones.

Policy 3.1.4

All post-disaster redevelopment and reconstruction shall be governed under Policy 1.8.2, Objective 4.1 and its associated policies in the Future Land Use Element of this plan.

Objective 3.2

The city shall have a Recovery Task Force to provide preliminary damage assessments and direct post-disaster recovery and redevelopment activities.

Policy 3.2.1

The Recovery Task Force shall consist of the city emergency management coordinator, the building and inspection department and other members as appointed by the City Commission.

Policy 3.2.2

The Recovery Task Force shall fulfill the following responsibilities, as well as others deemed necessary:

• Assess preliminary damage reports;

• Take necessary steps to seek financial assistance from the
  appropriate state and federal agencies;

• Authorize immediate clean-up and repairs necessary to protect the public health, safety and welfare;

• Identify areas within the community where minor, moderate and
  major damage has occurred;

• Recommend to the City Commission appropriate hazard mitigation policies that should be implemented in response to the disaster; and

• Prepare a report evaluating post-disaster redevelopment response and make recommendations for necessary changes to this Comprehensive Plan.

Objective 3.3

In order to effectively manage the timing and sequence of reconstruction, the city will establish, in advance, a set of reconstruction permitting procedures and shall continue to review key reconstruction and redevelopment strategies, including those from interagency hazard mitigation reports, which will be considered to promote hazard mitigation.

Policy 3.3.1

Following a major hurricane event, the City Commission will adopt a temporary post-disaster building moratorium to allow sufficient time for immediate damage assessment, the identification of redevelopment opportunities, and hazard mitigation policy implementation. The time period and type of moratorium will be decided by the City Commission.

Policy 3.3.2

The city shall adopt a post-disaster procedure which will expedite permitting for minor repairs. The procedure shall include development plan review, engineering approval and building permitting and shall provide that all permitting is coordinated with the appropriate agencies and consistent with the objectives of this Comprehensive Plan.

Objective 3.4

The city shall enact key reconstruction and redevelopment strategies which will promote hazard mitigation applicable to St. Pete Beach.

Policy 3.4.1

Where feasible, property which has received recurring major hurricane damage from storm surge should be publicly acquired or designated conservation on the Future Land Use Map to prevent redevelopment of the property to its pre-hurricane land use.

Policy 3.4.2

The city shall consider one or more of the following strategies in those areas which receive major or moderate damage:

• Relocation further inland (away from the coast); and

• Reconstruction according to more stringent building and construction standards

Policy 3.4.3

The city shall interrelate hazard and non-hazard mitigation goals during reconstruction decision-making including the following objectives:

• Enhancement of local recreational and open space opportunities;

• Enhancement of local public beach access;

• Enhancement and restoration of local natural ecosystems;

• Reduction of traffic congestion, noise, and other transportation related problems; and

• Enhancement of the long-term economic vitality of the local commercial base.

Policy 3.4.4

The city shall establish performance standards which allow for the redevelopment of sensitive historic resources providing some portion of the said resource is still existing and can safely be returned to it's natural pre-hurricane state.

Policy 3.4.5

By the year 2000, the city shall adopt the disaster mitigation strategies developed by its participation in Project Impact, as applicable to St. Pete Beach.

Policy 3.4.6

The City of St. Pete Beach, working in cooperation local, regional and state agencies, shall ensure that all post-disaster reconstruction activities shall be required to follow the appropriate hazard mitigation measures and regulations